Despite the upcoming league hit against FC Bayern, coach Xabi Alonso of Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen is focusing on the cup quarter-finals on Tuesday (8.45 p.m./ARD and Sky) against VfB Stuttgart.
“This will be a top week for us. But Saturday is far away, tomorrow is very close,” said the Spaniard: “We are used to having English weeks and have done well so far. We still have enough time after Tuesday “To prepare for Saturday.” The pressure this week is no greater than usual. “There is always pressure in professional football,” he said: “But we don’t feel it more than usual this week.”
The motivation before the anticipated final of the two supposedly best teams in the remaining field of participants is very high among the Leverkusen team, who have not had a title since 1993. “It’s a nice chance to reach the semi-finals. And we are very, very motivated,” said the coach: “The players have this desire to win something. The cup is the shortest way and we only have two games left away from the final.”
Alonso – who won the cup with Bayern in 2016 but was on the bench for 120 minutes in the final against Dortmund – does not yet want to talk about a possible final in Berlin. “The final comes after the semi-finals. And we’re not in the semi-finals yet,” he said. There is also great respect for the Bundesliga third-place team from Stuttgart. “It will be a big challenge,” said the former world and European champion: “I really like the way Stuttgart plays. Very intelligent, very flexible, with a good structure, the coach has a good idea. The position, on The place they are in the Bundesliga is totally deserved.”
